Washington, DC -- Equal Pay Today! – a non-partisan collaboration of organizations working to close the gender wage gap congratulates Representative DeLauro and Senator Murray and all original co-sponsors in the House and Senate on their reintroduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Joi Chaney, Director of Equal Pay Today, a project of Equal Rights Advocates, released the following statement:

“Ten year’s ago this week, on January 29, I had the privilege of working in the Senate when the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama. Three years ago, Equal Pay Today was launched on the bill’s anniversary. The bill was critical to protecting the ability of pay discrimination victims to seek legal redress under Title VII, but it was only a first step toward stronger equal pay enforcement. The Paycheck Fairness Act is needed to take the next step of ensuring pay equity enforcement meets the needs of the modern workforce and addresses the challenges discovered or developed over the last half-century.

“These challenges include loopholes in Equal Pay Act of 1963 enforcement that have been used by slick employers to pay women and men unequally without penalty, lack of pay transparency and pay data collection, continued use of practices that perpetuate the wage gap, and remedies for victims of discrimination so limited they serve as little incentive for employers to voluntarily comply with the law. Many say they support equal pay, but it means nothing if you don’t have laws strong enough to enforce it. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen our pay enforcement laws.

“As Ms. Ledbetter said recently, ‘Giving women my Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act without the Paycheck Fairness Act is like giving them a nail without the hammer.’ Working women need that hammer. We demand that Congress swiftly pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.”

Today, with only a few days left in the 115th Congress, the House and Senate passed unanimously the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act. Equal Pay Today, a project of Equal Rights Advocates, along with our partners the American Civil Liberties Union, National Women’s Law Center, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Public Citizen and in the broader women’s rights and accountability communities, has been working for more than a year with our allies on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to reform how the Legislative Branch stops, prevents, and remedies workplace harassment and other forms of discrimination for it’s workforce in Washington, DC and across the nation.

Joi Chaney, Director of Equal Pay Today, a project of Equal Rights Advocates and Senior Policy Counsel of Equal Rights Advocates, released the following statement.

“In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the nation was reminded that the Congressional workforce, including House and Senate offices, was not exempt from the challenges of sexual harassment in the workplace. We were also reminded that the Congressional workforce — often women and people of color — experience other forms of harassment and discrimination as well.”

“What came as a surprise was that Congress’s process for handling these claims was so byzantine and unfair to claimants, favoring instead powerful Members over vulnerable staff. Worse, we learned that the American taxpayer was footing the bill for awards and settlements to victims of harassment conducted by Members of Congress themselves. This was no example for the nation.”

“While it took longer than it should have for Congress to clean-up it’s act, we are pleased to see passage of strong, bipartisan reform. The bill removes unnecessary hurdles to filing a claim; expands who is protected, including unpaid interns; ensures staff can receive legal assistance; improves transparency on claims filed; and strengthens accountability for members of Congress.”

“This bill isn’t perfect. While members will now have to reimburse taxpayers for payments made on their behalf for harassment, we must still work to ensure reimbursement for payments made for discrimination. We must also work to ensure the bill is implemented as intended. That said, it is a start, a good one for victims of harassment and discrimination, and a vast improvement over the status quo.”

“As we move forward, we look forward to working with our partners on and off the Hill to ensure the Legislative workforce is protected and that Congressional workplace reflects the greatness of the nation it serves and is a positive example.”

MEDIA ADVISORY

Women’s Rights, Workers’ Rights and Racial Justice Advocates to host a #NativeWomensEqualPay Day Social Media Storm on

Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 2:00 pm ET.

September 27, 2018

Washington, DC – Today, women’s rights advocates will host a social media storm at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT in observance of Native Women’s Equal Pay Day – Thursday, September 27, 2018 using the hashtags #NativeWomensEqualPay, #DemandMore, and #Equity. Access the coalition toolkit and learn more about the gender wage gap for Native Women at www.nativewomensequalpayday.org.

Each year, Equal Pay Day is held in April, but when we look at the wage gap for women of color, the gap is far greater. When compared to all men, women are paid $.80 (cents) on the $1. When compared to White, non-Hispanic men, Native women are paid only $.57 (cents) on the $1 (using 2016 figures). This means the typical Native woman must work until September 2018 to be paid what the typical White man was paid at the end of December 2017. This gap contributes to Native Women having one of the highest poverty rates of all women.

There are many contributors to the wage gap, including employment discrimination, gender and race- based bias, lack of pay transparency, an inadequate minimum wage and tipped minimum wage, unfair workplace practices, lack of affordable child care, lack of quality public education system, a dismantling of organized labor, and inadequate access to capital.

The wage gap for Native women, however, is exacerbated by our nation’s shameful history of oppression of Native communities, which still have consequences in the lives of Native Americans and in particular women and girls. More than 4 in 5 Native women have experienced violence in their lifetimes, with Native women being 10 times more likely to be murdered than the national average.

Moreover, it is estimated that nearly 300 Native women disappear in the US & Canada under suspicious circumstances each year. Unfortunately, the exact number is unknown because data collection for Native communities is lacking.

On this #NativeWomensEqualPay Day, in this critical year for our nation, at this pivotal moment for our democracy, and on this pivotal day for women, especially survivors of sexual assault and violence, women nationwide are demanding more. Native women are demanding tangible solutions from their employers, from the business community, and from officials at the local, state, federal, and tribal level for addressing each of the contributors to the gap and other areas of disparity for native women. Indeed, women are demanding equity of opportunity in all areas of American life, including within the workplace, our national economy, and under the law.

Washington, DC – Today, women’s rights, workers’ rights and racial justice advocates will host a social media storm at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT in observance of Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – TODAY,Tuesday, August 7, 2018. Nationwide, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day events are being held online and in person throughout the week and in the coming weeks to raise awareness about the wage gap for Black women, its causes and its policy solutions. Our coalition will use the hashtags #BlackWomensEqualPay and #DemandMore to challenge everyone who supports equal pay for Black women and all women to demand more at work, as a consumer, and at the ballot box. Access the coalition toolkit and learn more about the gender wage gap for Black Women at www.blackwomensequalpayday.org.

WHAT: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day Coalition Social Media Storm

WHEN: TODAY,Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at

2:00 - 3:00 pm ET/11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT

WHERE: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat using hashtags

#BlackWomensEqualPay and #DemandMore.

BACKGROUND

Each year, Equal Pay Day is held in April, but when we look at the wage gap for women of color, the gap is far greater. When compared to all men, women are paid $.80 (cents) on the $1. When compared to White, non-Hispanic men, Black/African American women are paid only $.63 (cents) on the $1. This means the typical Black woman must work until August 2018 to be paid what the typical White man was paid at the end of December 2017. Despite being one of the most educated and civically engaged groups in America, Black women’s earnings also lag behind those of Black men and White, non-Hispanic women, underscoring the intersectional impact of gender and race on the wage gap.

There are many contributors to the wage gap, including employment discrimination, gender and race-based bias, lack of pay transparency, an inadequate minimum wage and tipped minimum wage, unfair workplace practices, lack of affordable child care, lack of quality public education system, a dismantling of organized labor, and inadequate access to capital.

On this #BlackWomensEqualPay Day, in this critical year for our nation and at this pivotal moment for democracy, Black women nationwide are demanding more for their contributions, their dollar and their vote. They are demanding tangible solutions from their employers, from the business community, and from elected officials at the local, state and federal level for addressing each of the contributors to the gap.

And as has always been the case, the beneficiary will be not only Black women and families, but all women and the American family. And so we call on everyone who supports equal pay to demand more as well.

Questions or need a contact? Email info@blackwomensequalpayday.org.

CO-SPONSORS: As of this writing, the social media storm is co-sponsored by the following organizations. This list will be updated throughout the day at www.blackwomensequalpayday.org.

Washington, DC -- Equal Pay Today! – a non-partisan collaboration of organizations working to close the gender wage gap – stands with other women's and workers' rights advocates in expressing disappointment in President Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. Joi Chaney, Equal Pay Today's Executive Director/Campaign Director released the following statement:

"President Trump's appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Kennedy's vacancy on the Supreme Court was disappointing but unsurprising. The President has long shown little regard for the rights of women, promising to appoint jurists who would be willing to overturn Roe v. Wade and turn American law back generations. But reproductive rights aren't the only rights at risk."

"If confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh would usher in an era of dangerous rollbacks on access to safe reproductive care, environmental protections, consumer protections, immigrant rights, the separation of church and state, labor rights and equal employment protections -- protections that benefit everyone, regardless of party affiliation. In totality, Judge Kavanaugh's record seems to favor the interests of the powerful over the rights of the individual, which is at odds with the promise of America."

"Worse, he and other Trump judicial nominees are the hand-selected, byproduct of a decades long campaign by corporate interests, social conservatives, and White supremacists, united in their effort to shape the law in their favor and pack the judiciary with judges who will uphold those laws."

"In recent years, because Justice Kennedy served as a swing vote, these special interests could only count on success part of the time. If confirmed to a lifetime appointment on our nation's highest court, Mr. Kavanaugh would deliver the reliable fifth vote they have been working toward. It will be a great victory for them but a great loss for the nation, beginning with women, minorities, and working and middle class Americans."

"So, if not clear before, it should be clear now: The stakes of this nomination could not be higher and so our efforts to educate the American people about the record of this nominee and ensure a rigorous and thorough vetting process in the Senate could not be more important."

"All Senators must ask themselves: Is Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court in the best interests of the nation?"

Equal Pay Today is one of many voicing concerns with Judge Kavanaugh's nomination, including several of our member organizations and partners:*

Washington, DC -- Yesterday, in a 5-4 decision written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Court ruled in Epic Systems Corporation v. Lewis that employers can use individual mandatory arbitration agreements to bar employees from joining together under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to challenge workplace violations through litigation or even arbitration. In a strongly worded dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underscored the gravity of this setback for employees:

"For workers striving to gain from their employers decent terms and conditions of employment, there is strength in numbers. A single employee, Congress understood, is disarmed in dealing with an employer. See NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., 301 U. S. 1, 33–34 (1937). The Court today subordinates employee protective labor legislation to the Arbitration Act. In so doing, the Court forgets the labor market imbalance that gave rise to the NLGA and the NLRA, and ignores the destructive consequences of diminishing the right of employees “to band together in confronting an employer.” NLRB v. City Disposal Systems, Inc., 465 U. S. 822, 835 (1984). Congressional correction of the Court’s elevation of the FAA over workers’ rights to act in concert is urgently in order."

"... The inevitable result of today’s decision will be the underenforcement of federal and state statutes designed to advance the well-being of vulnerable workers."

"... If employers can stave off collective employment litigation aimed at obtaining redress for wage and hours infractions, the enforcement gap is almost certain to widen. Expenses entailed in mounting individual claims will often far outweigh potential recoveries."

"... Fear of retaliation may also deter potential claimants from seeking redress alone."

Equal Pay Today! – a non-partisan collaboration of organizations working to close the gender wage gap – stands with Justice Ginsburg, other workers' rights advocates, and the nation's employees in expressing extreme disappointment in the Court's decision. Joi Chaney, Equal Pay Today's Executive Director/Campaign Director released the following statement:

"One byproduct of the #metoo movement has been a renewed recognition that mandatory arbitration agreements can serve as a shield for employers who violate wage and hour laws and anti-employment discrimination laws, including laws that protect against sexual harassment and wage discrimination. Most employees don't even realize they are signing an agreement that will bar them from going to court; and even if they do, few understandably are willing to walk away from a job opportunity over it. For too long, employers have exploited this imbalance of power, especially in low-wage employment relationships. That said, the #metoo movement represented a culture shift and companies are now facing pressure to stop the mandatory nature of these agreements."

"Last week, Lyft and Uber pledged to end their use of mandatory arbitration agreements in cases of sexual harassment or assault. While inadequate in scope, these decisions were two steps forward in the right direction towards greater protections for employees, who should be free to mediate, arbitrate, or seek redress in court for workplace violations of any kind. It was our hope that other employers would follow suit."

"Yesterday, however, the Supreme Court took the nation three steps back by issuing a decision that will only renew the incentive for employers to use these unfair agreements and rob employees of their right to organize and file class claims. Without the threat of class actions, coupled with rollbacks to state and local labor law enforcement, employers are sent a message that they can get away with individual violations, especially against those most vulnerable, on the cheap."

LOS ANGELES – The American workforce is due for an extreme makeover, one that centers women and serves the needs of the modern family.

What should our workplaces look like in the Me Too era? What can policymakers do to end systemic workplace discrimination and close the gender wage gap? How do we address the intersectional challenges faced by women of color, immigrant women, indigenous women, LGBTQ women, and women with disabilities?

Nine panelists from state and national women’s rights organizations, local government, and corporate America will answer these questions Sunday afternoon to a sold-out audience of nearly 350 attendees at the annual United State of Women Summit in Los Angeles.

“The Future of Work is Female: Re-designing the modern workplace” will feature speakers from Salesforce, Teach for America, ACLU, Los Angeles City Council, National Partnership for Women and Families, Southwest Women’s Law Center, and The Representation Project.

Panelists will imagine how to redesign workplaces where women are treated and compensated equitably, where career and family co-exist, and where all workers are valued. Seem unrealistic? It’s not.

“Attendees can expect to leave with ideas they can bring their bosses Monday morning — and to their elected officials this fall,” said moderator Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates. Equal Rights Advocates is currently sponsoring seven workplace equality and anti-sexual harassment bills in California, known as the Stronger CA package.

The United State of Women is the nation’s premiere annual gathering of the women leaders and problem solvers. This year’s speakers and special guests include Michelle Obama, Jane Fonda, Tarana Burke, Brittany Packnett, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Valerie Jarrett.

Washington, DC -- This year, in honor of silence breakers everywhere, Equal Pay Today and our partners in the Equal Pay Day Coalition -- women's rights, civil rights, and labor rights advocates -- is using the 2018 Equal Pay Day on April 10th to shine a light on efforts to level the playing field between employees and employers by focusing on pay transparency as a means of closing the gender wage gap. Join us in calling for:

EEOC pay data collection;

Passage of the federal Paycheck Fairness Act and local/state bills that close the gender wage gap; and

High road employers who post salary ranges, limit the use of prior salary, conduct pay audits, and protect employees who discuss pay at work.

BACKGROUND: Equal Pay Day -- April 10, 2018 -- is the approximate date the typical woman must work to make what the typical man made at the end of 2017. Women who work full time, year-round in the United States are paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. Over a 40-year career, this can cost a woman over $400,000. When you factor in race, the wage gap is wider. When compared to White, non-Hispanic men, Latinas earn 54 cents for every dollar, Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar, and White women earn 79 cents for every dollar.

Therefore, while Equal Pay Day compares all women to all men, the Equal Pay Days for women of color fall much later in the year. Women of color, therefore, must work far longer to achieve equity, while losing far more over the course of their lifetimes. That’s not equitable at all. And in 2018, it’s no longer acceptable.

It’s time for multi-pronged solutions that seek to close the gender wage gap by addressing its many contributors: lack of pay transparency, hiring, pay and promotion discrimination based on gender and at the intersections of race, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and caregiver status; occupational segregation; wage theft and an inadequate minimum wage; unfair workplace policies; lack of paid leave; lack of affordable childcare; and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Washington, DC -- This year, in honor of silence breakers everywhere, Equal Pay Today and our partners in the Equal Pay Day Coalition -- women's rights, civil rights, and labor rights advocates -- is using the 2018 Equal Pay Day on April 10th to shine a light on efforts to level the playing field between employees and employers by focusing on pay transparency as a solution to the gender wage gap. Join Equal Pay Today, Center for American Progress, Members of Congress and colleagues for a Facebook Live on Tuesday, April 10th at 4:00 pm ET to call for:

EEOC pay data collection;

Passage of the federal Paycheck Fairness Act and local/state bills that close the gender wage gap; and

High road employers who post salary ranges, limit the use of prior salary, conduct pay audits, and protect employees who discuss pay at work.

BACKGROUND: Equal Pay Day -- April 10, 2018 -- is the approximate date the typical woman must work to make what the typical man made at the end of 2017. Women who work full time, year-round in the United States are paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. Over a 40-year career, this can cost a woman over $400,000. When you factor in race, the wage gap is wider. When compared to White, non-Hispanic men, Latinas earn 54 cents for every dollar, Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar, and White women earn 79 cents for every dollar.

Therefore, while Equal Pay Day compares all women to all men, the Equal Pay Days for women of color fall much later in the year. Women of color, therefore, must work far longer to achieve equity, while losing far more over the course of their lifetimes. That’s not equitable at all. And in 2018, it’s no longer acceptable.

It’s time for multi-pronged solutions that seek to close the gender wage gap by addressing its many contributors: lack of pay transparency, hiring, pay and promotion discrimination based on gender and at the intersections of race, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and caregiver status; occupational segregation; wage theft and an inadequate minimum wage; unfair workplace policies; lack of paid leave; lack of affordable childcare; and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Washington, DC -- This year, in honor of silence breakers everywhere, Equal Pay Today and our partners in the Equal Pay Day Coalition -- women's rights, civil rights, and labor rights advocates -- is using the 2018 Equal Pay Day on April 10th to shine a light on efforts to level the playing field between employees and employers by focusing on pay transparency as a solution to the gender wage gap. To get prepared, Equal Pay Today and Center for American Progress are hosting a #EqualPayDay Primer on Monday, April 9th at 2:00 pm ET. Participants include:

Joi Chaney, Equal Pay Today

Sarah Fleisch Fink, National Partnership for Women & Families

Jocelyn Frye, Center for American Progress

Emily Martin, National Women’s Law Center

Deborah Vagins, American Association of University Women

Join us for a discussion of the gender wage gap, why its important to observe Equal Pay Day, and solutions for achieving pay equity.

BACKGROUND: Equal Pay Day -- April 10, 2018 -- is the approximate date the typical woman must work to make what the typical man made at the end of 2017. Women who work full time, year-round in the United States are paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. Over a 40-year career, this can cost a woman over $400,000. When you factor in race, the wage gap is wider. When compared to White, non-Hispanic men, Latinas earn 54 cents for every dollar, Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar, and White women earn 79 cents for every dollar.

Therefore, while Equal Pay Day compares all women to all men, the Equal Pay Days for women of color fall much later in the year. Women of color, therefore, must work far longer to achieve equity, while losing far more over the course of their lifetimes. That’s not equitable at all. And in 2018, it’s no longer acceptable.

It’s time for multi-pronged solutions that seek to close the gender wage gap by addressing its many contributors: lack of pay transparency, hiring, pay and promotion discrimination based on gender and at the intersections of race, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and caregiver status; occupational segregation; wage theft and an inadequate minimum wage; unfair workplace policies; lack of paid leave; lack of affordable childcare; and sexual harassment in the workplace.